A 19-year-old man has been charged with assault and intimidation after an altercation with journalists at a press conference with far-right senator Fraser Anning in Cronulla in Sydney's south on Friday, where the controversial politician again called for a ban on Muslim immigration.

News Corp photographer Dylan Robinson was left with a torn shirt after a verbal exchange between St George Shire Standard journalist Eliza Barr and the man, believed to be a supporter of the senator, allegedly turned physical.

Senator Anning, 69, called for a ban on "bringing any more Muslims or Sudanese into the country" during his media conference.

He was pressed by journalists over his claims that locals were being "bashed and attacked".

"You live in a make-believe world," one of the senator's supporters yelled at Ms Barr as she asked whether locals would back CNP candidate Peter Kelly given they'd lived through the 2005 Cronulla race riots.

After the press conference, the 19-year-old Randwick man allegedly levelled sexist and abusive comments at Barr including the phrase "nice tits".

The photographer, Robinson, followed him and attempted to take his photo before the young man allegedly lashed out.

Detained: Police have taken the 19-year-old into custody.Credit:AAP

The media union later stated: "It is unacceptable in a democracy for journalists to be physically threatened or assaulted in the course of doing their job."

At a press conference later on Friday afternoon, Senator Anning said he did not see the altercation and did not know "what the lead-up to it was", so he would not comment.

He said "I've never advocated any violence at all."

Senator Anning's candidate for Cook, Cr Kelly, is an army veteran who worked as an adviser to former NSW One Nation senator Brian Burston, and won a seat on Ku-Ring-Gai council in the 2017 elections.

Anning's controversies

Senator Anning, from Queensland, rose to prominence in August last year after his maiden speech praised the White Australia Policy and said a national vote would provide "the final solution to the immigration problem".

"The final solution" is a phrase associated with Nazi Germany's extermination of Jewish people in Europe and beyond.